author
James Buchanan
1791–1868
A lifelong politician and diplomat, he rose to the White House after decades in Congress, the Senate, and the Cabinet. His presidency came at the nation’s breaking point, and historians often remember him for failing to stop the slide toward civil war.
1 Audiobook
State of the Union Addresses
by James Buchanan
About the author
Born in Pennsylvania in 1791, he studied at Dickinson College, trained as a lawyer, and built a long public career that stretched across many of the biggest offices in American government. Before becoming president, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, and as secretary of state, and he also represented the United States abroad as minister to Russia and later to Britain.
He became the 15th president of the United States in 1857. His term was dominated by the deepening conflict over slavery and the growing split between North and South, and his attempts at compromise did not prevent the secession crisis that erupted just before he left office.
After the presidency, he retired to his home, Wheatland, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1868. He is also remembered as the only U.S. president who never married, with his niece Harriet Lane often serving as White House hostess.